


They Grow Up So Quickly

by wightfaerie



Category: Starsky & Hutch
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-26
Updated: 2013-05-26
Packaged: 2017-12-13 00:58:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/818080
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wightfaerie/pseuds/wightfaerie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This story was originally written for Secret Santa 2012</p><p>Kiko and Molly aren't going to make it home for Christmas. Hutch is upset. Starsky comes up with a solution to make his lover happy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	They Grow Up So Quickly

They Grow Up So Quickly  


**December 15, 1982**

Another sigh interrupted Starsky's television viewing. He was watching a rerun of Godzilla, or at least he was trying to. The elephant in the room was making it impossible for him to concentrate on the movie.

Hutch sat at the kitchen table writing Christmas cards. Ever since Molly had come into their lives that fateful Christmas, Hutch had gradually changed his attitude toward the festive season. Now, he was more anal than Starsky about making sure everything was perfect. He sighed again.

"Wha'sa matter with you?" Starsky asked, turning his full attention to Hutch. Godzilla was no match for the gallery of sighs emanating from the kitchen area.

"Nothing," Hutch said, without even looking up from what he was doing. The scribbling, enveloping and licking continued with mechanical precision. Two weeks earlier, stamps had completed the production task, but Hutch was finally up to the cards that didn't need mailing. Starsky had given up trying to help. He only messed up Hutch's rigid routine, and his left-handed scrawl wasn't neat enough next to his partner's calligraphy.  
Every time Starsky had spoken to Hutch that evening, all he'd gotten was one word answers, grunts and a sigh every ten minutes or so. "Doesn't sound like nothing." Hutch had not so much as glanced in Starsky's direction. "Talk to me."

"Nothing to talk about," Hutch said, managing a short sentence that time. However, his tone said otherwise.

"Look at me," Starsky persisted. "Tell me to my face that there's nothing to talk about." He walked into the kitchen and grabbed two beers out of the fridge. Opening one, he put it in front of Hutch.

"Starsk," Hutch said. "Be careful of the cards." He carefully pushed the bottle to the far side of the table, away from the pile of white envelopes with their black, beautifully formed, names sitting exactly in the center of each square.

"What's all the sighing for?" Starsky said gently. "You've been strange ever since that phone call you took during our dinner." He knew the caller had been Kiko, because Hutch had said the boy's name during the conversation, but unusually for Hutch, he hadn't actually told Starsky who had called or what was said.

"I'm busy," Hutch said curtly, using his 'leave it, I'll tell you later if I feel like it' voice. He crossed a name off the long list in front of him. Picking up a card with a Cardinal on the front, he opened it, pen poised.

"So, talk and write. You're always telling me how good you are at multi-tasking," Starsky said playfully. He liked to remind Hutch about how pompous he could be at times by throwing his own sayings back at him.

"Not much to say. Kiko called. He and Molly are staying on campus this Christmas." Hutch paused, taking a deep breath. "Apparently Kiko failed a course and the teacher gave him until January to work on a paper to get extra credit."

Kiko and Molly had managed to go to the same college, Monterey Institute of International Studies. They were both interested in international studies and were taking business courses. Those two had gotten more alike as they got older. Both had won part scholarships, and, with a little help from Starsky and Hutch, Kiko's mom, Iana, was managing to cover the shortfall.

"Why didn't you tell me right away?" Starsky asked. Now he understood Hutch's snit. He leaned forward, snaking his arms around Hutch's shoulders. "No wonder you're not happy." Starsky was disappointed himself. He loved those kids. He wanted to yell at Hutch for not telling him immediately, but Hutch was hurting enough already.

Hutch was closer to Kiko than Starsky was, and Molly had gotten under Hutch's skin right from the start. Whatever Starsky felt for the two scamps, Hutch felt tenfold. He was the father figure that neither kid had in their lives. It was a role he cherished even more now that he and Starsky was a couple and not likely to have children of their own.  
"I had so much planned, Starsk," Hutch said quietly. "I was going to give them the best Christmas ever. Iana and Huggy are halfway through the preparations for the party." He slammed his pen onto the table, rested his head against Starsky's chest and sighed again.  
Starsky looked down into his lover's eyes. The usual sparkle was gone. Hutch's lovely blue eyes always seemed so lifeless when he was sad. Starsky gently kissed Hutch's forehead. "I know, babe. I miss them, too. But if they've got to finish something, there's nothing we can do about it. Don't want either of them to fail, do we?"  
Hutch bit his bottom lip. "I guess not." He stared searchingly into Starsky's eyes. "When did we swap roles?"

"Huh?" Hutch's last question stopped Starsky in his tracks.

"When did I get fixated with the perfect Christmas, and you become the voice of reason?" Hutch half smiled, regret at his thwarted plans still obvious in his face.

Starsky grinned, remembering the arguments of the past. His manic love of everything Christmassy, and Hutch's tantrums about the commerciality of it all. "When we became the proud pops to two teenagers." He ran his fingers through Hutch's hair. He needed a trim. Starsky grabbed a fist full and pulled Hutch's head harder against his chest. "We'll still have a good time, babe. I promise." He tried to be upbeat, though he was feeling a little bereft himself. The kids would have put some life into the party. Now it would just be Lisa, Cal and Rosie Dobey. Maybe the Dobey kids could bring some friends along.  
"Yeah," Hutch agreed half-heartedly. He shook his head, yanking his hair out of Starsky's grasp. "Ow," he said, slightly belatedly, rubbing the back of his head with his right hand.

On the TV, the theme music running over the credits signaled the end of Godzilla. Must be almost eleven o'clock. "Why don't you leave that until tomorrow and come to bed?" Starsky hoped he could put Hutch in a better mood with some loving. Or, at the very least, distract him for a short while.

###

**December 24, 1982**

Starsky whistled Jingle Bells as he put the last box into the trunk and slammed the lid shut. The noise reverberated around the quiet street. "Shush," he whispered, putting his hand onto the trunk and giving the car a quick scrub. He snickered. It's a good thing Hutch couldn't see him.

It was just past seven a.m. and Hutch was still asleep. His black mood over the last weeks had sapped his energy. The Hutch of old had come back with a vengeance. Suddenly, the Christmas Angel had turned back into The Grinch. He didn't want to finish the Christmas shopping, didn't care whether the party went ahead or not, and generally nipped any of Starsky's festive cajoling in the bud.

Starsky mentally checked his list. Boxes of presents in the trunk, hotel booked, Torino fully gassed. The only thing left was to put the luggage in the back seat. He'd called Kiko and Molly and they were on board one hundred per cent. Iana, Huggy and the Dobeys were meeting Starsky and Hutch at the hotel later today.

Everyone had loved Starsky's idea of taking Christmas to Monterey. The hotel had a small function room that Starsky had reserved for Christmas Day. He hadn't been able to believe his luck that the hotel had had a cancellation two weeks before Christmas from one of their business customers, and had enough rooms available for all of them. The now free function room was an added bonus. Everything was done. All Starsky had to do was get Hutch there.

"Oww. Fuck. Starsky!" Hutch's disembodied voice roared down the outside staircase.  
Starsky shot up the wooden steps to the two bedroom apartment that he and Hutch had bought last year. "You okay, Hutch?" He could guess what Hutch was howling about. He pursed his lips together, trying to suppress the grin that threatened to surface at the sight in front of his eyes when he walked through the door and into the living room.  
Hutch hopped on one leg, holding the other foot and rubbing his toes. "What the hell are those bags doing in the middle of the living room?" He dropped heavily onto the couch, still massaging his toes. "Why does it hurt so damn much when you stub your toes?" He glared at Starsky.

Starsky made a face, shaking his head. "I dunno. Next question." He took a step toward Hutch. The man looked incredibly sexy in his tight black cotton boxer shorts.  
"You dunno what?" Hutch stared at the luggage again. He gingerly put his foot to the floor, flexing his toes against the Persian rug that covered half of the floor.  
"I dunno why it hurts so much when you stub your toe," Starsky said. He knelt on the floor next to Hutch and stroked the slightly red digits. He bent forward and kissed Hutch's big toe, licking the tip with his tongue.

Hutch moaned, straightening his toe so that it went into Starsky's mouth up to the first joint.

Starsky took the hint. He had no objection to suckling Hutch's toe, if that was what he wanted. Which, of course, it was. Hutch liked having his toes sucked. Starsky obliged eagerly, slurping and nipping at the wiggling appendage.

"Tickles," Hutch giggled. Much as he liked his feet played with, he was also relatively ticklish. He'd told Starsky early on in their relationship that he liked the torture of being tickled. It fed his masochistic tendencies.

With one final suck, Starsky sat back on his heels and glanced up at Hutch. "That better?"

"Mmm." Hutch leaned back against the couch. "Come here." He patted the cushion next to him. "We've got the day to ourselves with nothing to do."

Starsky sat on the exact spot that Hutch had indicated. "Afraid not. Our bags are packed for a reason."

"Well, I'd guessed that they weren't in the middle of the room just for the fun of it," Hutch said sarcastically.

"We're going on a road trip," Starsky continued, undeterred by the familiar snarky tone of Hutch's voice.

"It's Christmas Eve, Starsk." Hutch rolled his eyes. He grasped the back of Starsky's head and pulled him closer, stopping only when their foreheads touched. "Our first one off for years. Huggy's doing the party, and we don't have to prepare the spare room for Molly."

Although Iana had cared for Molly since her father was murdered, Molly liked to stay with Starsky and Hutch for Christmas. She always said it reminded her of Hutch's, and Starsky's, kindnesses on her worst Christmas ever.

"I really don't want to go tearing around the state. I just want to curl up with my lover," Hutch finished.

"Okay." Starsky snuggled his body against Hutch's. "So you don't want to go to the Monterey Hotel for Christmas?" he threw in casually.

Hutch jumped up, almost ripping Starsky's head off in the process. "So that's what you have planned?" The lines on his forehead that had been deeply grooved during his dark mood smoothed considerably.

"Yes." Starsky stood up, walking over to Hutch. He put his arm around Hutch's waist. "You've been so down since Kiko called. I decided that if Molly and Kiko can't come to Bay City, we'll take Christmas to them. Got a room reserved. We just need to get there. If you want to!"

"Hell, yes." Hutch spun around to face Starsky. Grabbing Starsky's face between his big hands, Hutch kissed him, deep and hard. "You never fail to amaze me. I love you." He forced his tongue between Starsky's teeth and plunged as far as he could into Starsky's mouth.

With his head held in a vice grip, Hutch's lips sealing his mouth and his nose pushed up against Hutch's cheek, Starsky struggled for a breath. He maneuvered his neck so that he could take in some air without breaking the kiss.

Hutch finally pulled away, holding Starsky at arm's length. "I've been a real pain, haven't I?"

"No worse than usual," Starsky joked, leaping out of the way when Hutch swung around, his arm at full stretch. His fingertips grazed across the front of Starsky's t-shirt.  
"I haven't got any big presents for Molly or Kiko." Hutch threw his arms in the air, a look of panic on his face. "I mailed them something small and thought I'd buy them something nice when they came home for Easter."

"Don't worry," Starsky soothed. "I bought everything on your list. It's all wrapped and in the trunk of the car. All we need to do is get the bags and go."

"So that's why you've been disappearing on me. We can't just take off." Hutch stepped over the packed bags. "What about the party tomorrow? We need to make some calls and let everyone know what we're doing."

"We don't need to do anything." Starsky laughed at the confused look on Hutch's face. "It's all arranged. Same food, same guests, different venue."

"Everyone's going to Monterey?" Hutch asked incredulously. The cogs in his brain were working overtime. Starsky could see the veins pulsing on his forehead.

"Iana wants to see the kids, understandably. Huggy was closing the bar for our party so he says he's got nothing better to do and a whole lot of food to use. Lisa and her mom can't make it. They're going to spend Christmas with her gran." Starsky grinned and grabbed Hutch, wrestling him to the rug. "Stop fighting the inevitable."

Hutch grunted when his back hit the floor. Taking a deep breath, he said, "What about the Dobeys?" He tried to buck off Starsky's weight.

"Edith jumped at a few nights in a hotel. Cal is home for Christmas and Rosie is happy to go wherever her Uncle Ken is." Starsky grinned. "The Cap had no choice. Now move that delectable ass and get dressed. You got ten minutes." He rolled off of Hutch and sat on the floor, watching Hutch walk into the bathroom. Starsky looked at his partner's tight buns and salivated. The idea of staying home was a very tempting prospect. He shook his head and stood up. Grabbing the bags, he went downstairs.

Fifteen minutes later, Hutch was dressed in tight, dark blue jeans, a yellow zip-up turtleneck and his brown suede fringed jacket. Brown cowboy boots completed the ensemble.  
Starsky had finished loading the car and sat on the couch waiting for Hutch. He whistled his appreciation. With his blond locks curling around his collar, Hutch looked good enough to eat. "I wish we were staying here," Starsky rasped. "You haven't worn that jacket since..." He stopped, unsure as to whether he should dredge up old memories, bad memories.

"Since Marianne," Hutch finished for him. "It's okay. You can say her name. She's history." He stroked Starsky's cheek. "I'm not proud of what I did to her. But I learned to live with it. Just like I have everything else that went wrong when we were undercover."

"We'd better get started," Starsky said. The last thing he wanted was for Hutch, or himself, to start thinking about past cases and get all melancholy. "We've got a long drive ahead of us. I'm glad it's isn't raining. I hate driving up the coast in the rain."  
Hutch leaned on the back of the couch. "Hey, we could have lunch at Pea Soup Andersen's Inn in Beullton. I love their Split-Pea Soup and garden salad."

Starsky nodded. "Can't see why not. We haven't been there in a while."

###

**December 25, 1982**

Starsky woke to a dark room. The clock on the nightstand read 6:01. The drapes blocked out any light there might be outside. He groaned and debated about going back to sleep, but it was Christmas morning and he still felt the same excitement that he had as a kid. Try as he might, Starsky hadn't grown up enough to lose the magic of Christmas from his life. He propped himself up on one elbow. He had the luxury of time to lay and watch Hutch sleep.

Huggy had taken Starsky's spare car key a couple of days ago and promised to unload the trunk for him. The hotel had said that they would provide a decorated tree and Huggy was going to put the presents under it for Starsky. He and Hutch were lucky to have such good friends.

Hutch turned onto his side, facing Starsky. He opened his eyes slowly. "I thought I felt something burning into my cheek," he said. A grin spread across his face. "My own personal stalker. Don't you ever get tired of watching me sleep?" He curled his right leg around Starsky's hip.

"Nope. Why would I?" Starsky was sure that he would never get used to the fact that Hutch had foregone the ladies that he'd seemed to adore so much to be with a bandy-legged, dark, curly haired Jew. Starsky couldn't help but compare what he considered his shortcomings with his perfect, pretty blond, long limbed, partner. Hutch had caught Starsky's eye the very first day of the Academy. Not in a desirable way at first, just in the way that a guy looks at another and thinks he really cannot be that perfect and naive.

"Will you quit it?" Hutch blushed a little. "You know how self-conscious that makes me." He reached out, gently pushing Starsky onto his back to break the stare.

Starsky let his body flop onto the mattress. "You know I love you," he said simply, keeping his eyes glued to the ceiling.

Hutch straddled Starsky's midriff and looked into his eyes. "I love you, too. Even if you do drive me crazy." He looked around the room. "We didn't unpack the car. I wanted to give you your gift."

"Huggy said he'd do it." Starsky stroked Hutch's morning wood. Both of them slept naked these days. Pajamas were relegated to hospital stays and visits with family. "Wouldn't want to waste time with trivial things. This is all the present I need." He increased the pressure of his finger on the soft skin.

Hutch arched his back, thrusting his hips forward and throwing his head back. "Can't argue with that reasoning." He gasped when Starsky wrapped his hand around his penis. Hutch straightened his legs and lay on top of Starsky, pulling out of Starsky's grip and trapping Starsky's cock between his legs. Hutch forced his own shaft between Starsky's thighs. Rocking his hips back and forth, Hutch settled into a steady rhythm which Starsky matched perfectly.

Starsky weaved his fingers into Hutch's hair on the back of his head, tugging Hutch in for a kiss. He preferred Hutch inside of him, but he also loved the intimacy of this position. The total skin contact was stimulating, and arousing. He could get to Hutch's mouth and look in those clear blue eyes without being a contortionist. All thought slowly slipped away and Starsky rode the cloud of love all the way to the end of the rainbow. Myriad fireworks exploded in his head. Breathless, he sank bonelessly into the mattress underneath him, surrendering to his orgasm.

Hutch was heavy on Starsky's body, his climax obviously draining him as much as Starsky's had. He nipped Starsky's shoulder gently with his teeth. That was the only movement he made for a while.

Finally, Starsky couldn't take Hutch's deadweight any longer. "Move over, buddy." He followed Hutch's roll until they were both on their sides. Their combined semen dried between Starsky's legs, tightening the skin slightly.

_Ring, ring._

Starsky reached over and grabbed the phone. "'Lo," he said, glancing at the clock again. 8:18. He must have dozed for a while after their love making.

"Starsky, my man," Huggy trilled in Starsky's ear. He sounded far too awake for Starsky's sluggish brain. "Everyone's going to be here for the Christmas breakfast at ten. Lincoln Suite. Be there or be square." He disconnected the call without waiting for Starsky's answer.

Starsky dropped the phone back in the cradle. "That was Hug. We've got two hours before breakfast." Starsky prized his thighs apart. "We need to clean up," he said.

Hutch rubbed his hand down Starsky's inner thigh. "Guess so," he said, taking no notice of his own body and caressing just below Starsky's scrotum.

Starsky relaxed into the pleasure building between his legs.

Hutch slapped his leg hard. "Last one in the shower drives back." He leapt off of the bed. His long legs carried him halfway to the bathroom before the words had registered in Starsky's foggy brain.

"Not fair," Starsky said, scrambling after Hutch, his feet catching in the white sheet on the bed. "I drove most of the way here, and you had a head start." Hutch always said that Starsky was the one who cheated at games. But Hutch did his share of stacking the odds in his own favor. Starsky reached the door as Hutch turned on the jet of water in the huge cubicle.

"If you move your butt over here, we can get in together and decide who drives later." Hutch smiled sweetly at Starsky, flashing the smile that melted Starsky every single time.

He could never stay mad at Hutch for very long when he turned on the charm. Hutch was very manipulative at times. However, Starsky loved every little idiosyncrasy of Hutch's, no matter how annoying, although he couldn't understand why sometimes.

Starsky walked over to Hutch and stepped into the shower a second before Hutch. Not that Starsky would claim his win. Christmas was a time for giving, and Starsky wanted to give everything to Hutch.

Hutch nudged up against Starsky's ass. "Turn around," he whispered into Starsky's left ear, and running a finger down his spine.

Starsky shivered and turned around to find Hutch kneeling at his feet. "I don't think," he started as Hutch's head moved toward his groin.

"Don't think then," Hutch said, wrapping his lips around Starsky's fairly flaccid penis. He flicked the slit with the end of his tongue, probing as far as he could before retreating to lick the crown sensually.

I can get it up again yet, Starsky finished mentally. His cock had other ideas. It twitched in appreciation at the warm mouth sheathed around the shaft and the expert ministrations of a lover who knew every trick in the book when it came to a great blow job.

Hutch hummed as he worked Starsky like a pro. He scraped his teeth along the now rigid member with just the right amount of pressure. He licked his way up and down the underside vein with his tongue, and chewed on Starsky's sac. He seemed to have more than one mouth, more than one tongue. He was everywhere, sucking and biting, at Starsky's groin.

Starsky's throbbing erection was securely sealed in the pleasure dome. His legs turned to jelly. He would have crumpled into the water pooling around his feet had it not been for Hutch's hands on his pelvic bones, holding him hard against the tiled wall of the cubicle. He suspected he'd probably have bruises there tomorrow, but he didn't mind. Hutch could mark him as much as he wanted.

Almost as if Hutch had heard him, he released Starsky's penis and sucked hard at the top of Starsky's inner right thigh. Spray hit Hutch's shoulders, running down his back like a waterfall over rocks.

Starsky grabbed a fistful of Hutch's wet hair, trying not to pull the clump out by the roots.

Hutch gently licked the spot he'd just suckled, and clamped back onto Starsky's rod, resuming his zealous suckling.

All too soon, Starsky's balls tightened and his earlier explosion was nothing compared to this one. The top of his head blew right into hyper space. "Hutch," he screamed, before clamping his mouth tight shut. He'd forgotten where they were for the moment, and prayed that the occupants of the rooms either side of them were deaf. His noise would have woken the dead.

Hutch swallowed every last drop that Starsky pumped.

"Your turn," Starsky said lethargically, his head still swimming from his climax. He tried to bend his knees.

Hutch held him fast in the same position. "No way. That was a thank you for everything you've done. Arranging all this." He let go of Starsky and stood up. "Now stand still while I wash you." He soaped the cloth and lathered Starsky's entire body, then pushed him under the spray to rinse off. "Get out and shave, so I can get cleaned up." Hutch shook his head and put his finger to Starsky's lips when he opened his mouth to protest. "This is all part of your Christmas present," Hutch said.

Damn. Hutch had him there. Using Starsky's own psychology against him. Echoes of when Starsky used to get Hutch to accept Christmas back in the day. "It's a present. Don't upset me by giving it back," he'd said many times to Bah Humbug Hutch. Starsky shut the shower door behind him and grabbed the shaving foam.

###

Leaving Hutch to finish getting dressed, Starsky walked into the Lincoln Suite just before ten. The decorations covering the ceiling looked amazing. There was a real blue spruce in the corner adorned with ornaments, tinsel and lights. There seemed to be millions of brightly wrapped presents underneath it. Far more than Starsky had brought. But then, everyone invited would have contributed to the pile. Starsky closed his eyes, breathing in the aromatic pine scent that filled the air.

A long table straining with the weight of the food piled on top dominated the far wall of the room. Starsky could hear Christmas music playing in the background, though it was barely audible over the chatter bouncing through the crowd of his good friends.  
"Starsky." Molly ran over to him and hugged him hard, looking around his upper arm. "Where's Hutch?"

Starsky snickered. "He's on his way." Lesser men would have been hurt that the kid they'd both had a hand in rescuing from the bad guys seemed to like his partner more than him, but not Starsky. They both loved kids, but related to them in different ways. Starsky liked the rough and tumble, playing trains, and coming down to their level. Hutch was more the nurturer, the father figure.

"Can't wait to see him," Molly said, releasing Starsky from her hug around his midriff.  
She hadn't grown much taller than when he'd first met her, a little over five feet. She was a cross between tomboy Pete and more mature Molly. A uniform of blue jeans and baseball shirts still dominated in her wardrobe, albeit the jeans were tighter, more fitted, and the baseball shirts hugged her developed figure. She had more baseball shirts than Hutch had plaid ones. Since she'd gotten older, she preferred to be called Molly. Pete was the child whose father had been murdered just before Christmas. Molly was Kiko's sister, and Hutch was the only father figure she had.

Starsky ruffled her hair. "Good to see you, kiddo," he said affectionately. "Where's your brother?"

"Kiko, get over here," she ordered, looking over her shoulder and shouting at a thong of teenagers, all drinking cokes. "Hope you don't mind our friends coming? The tall one with the glasses is Jimbo. The pretty blonde cheerleader lookalike is Missy. The weird curly-haired guy, who looks a bit like you, is Raven."

"I'm not weird," Starsky said, feigning hurt. He mock punched her on the arm. "Raven, seriously? What kind of name is that?"

Molly grinned. "I never said you were weird. I said he was weird." She stuck her tongue out at Starsky. "His real name's Eugene. He prefers Raven, 'cause they're dark, like him."  
"But you said he looked like me." Starsky rose to Molly's bait, because he knew she expected him to. That was their way, their dynamic.

"He's got dark, curly hair. Like you." Molly stuck her hands in the back pockets of her jeans. "I'm glad you decided to come."

"Hey, Starsky." Kiko walked over, interrupting their conversation. He shook Starsky's hand. "Room looks good. Where's my big brother?"

"Here," Hutch announced from behind Starsky.

Molly squealed, jumping into Hutch's arms and wrapping her legs around his waist in a very un-Pete-like fashion.

Hutch caught her, supporting her weight and holding her tight. "Good golly, Miss Molly," he said affectionately. "Missed you." He held her for a few moments, keeping his grip around her torso when she unwrapped her legs and lowered her feet to the ground. Standing straight, she just about reached his chest.

"Missed you, too," Molly said. "I was bummed out about having to stay at school. But we really need to finish this paper. Mr. Jones is a great teacher and let Kiko research vaccines for African children to make up his grade." She crashed into Hutch's body when Kiko pushed her from behind.

"Hey, Pete," Kiko said. "I'm not the only one whose grades need a little boost."  
Hutch maneuvered Molly to arms length. "Are you two partying too much?" he scolded, his voice soft and teasing. He reached out his hand to Kiko. "Do we hug or shake hands now?" he asked.

Kiko smiled and squared up to his full height of five foot, ten. He was just an inch shorter than Starsky. Kiko grabbed Hutch's hand, pulling him into a half hug.  
Molly tucked herself under Hutch's right arm. "Us. Party." she said, a look of pure innocence on her face. "My grades are good. Kiko's the one who's not going to pass this semester without help--and he won't be able to keep his scholarship if he fails." She stuck her tongue out at Kiko.

"Brat," Kiko retorted, shoving Molly with his hip. "It's not that bad." He looked over at Iana, who was talking to Edith. "Don't tell mom. She'd only worry for nothing."

"She thinks her precious baby is a genius," Molly said. She screamed and ran off when Kiko lunged at her. He chased her around the room.

Starsky laughed. "They don't change, do they?" He sidled up closer to Hutch. Snaking his arm around his lover, Starsky stole a kiss before remembering that while all their friends here knew about them, Kiko and Molly's friends probably didn't.

"Wouldn't want them to." Hutch gazed after the fleeing teenagers with pride. "Do you think Kiko's really struggling with his grades? Maybe I should have a talk with him before we go back to Bay City."

Starsky dropped his hand to his side. "Couldn't hurt. Kids don't miss vacation and do extra assignments for no reason."

"I did," Hutch said.

"Well, you would, Mister Valedictorian." Starsky had teased Hutch about his academic prowess ever since Jack had filled him in on how Hutch had maintained his 4.0 grade point average all the way through school. "Let's eat."

Hutch scowled at Starsky. "There's nothing wrong with wanting to expand your mind." He stalked off to the food table.

"Didn't say there was. I expand my mind all the time," Starsky quipped, breaking into a slight jog to keep up with Hutch.

Cal stood over the other side of the room chatting to Missy, who flirted openly, batting her eyes.

Kiko had finally stopped chasing Molly and she was working the crowd with Jimbo trailing after her like a little puppy.

"Filling your head with useless trivia is not expanding your mind." Hutch stopped next to one end of the long table. He stepped around Raven. The boy was piling his plate with as much food as he could carry, a crab claw balanced precariously on top of three slices of sourdough.

Starsky laughed and pointed at Raven's mountain of food. "I think you might have missed a tomato there, pal."

Hutch shook his head. "I despair with you sometimes, Starsk." He picked up a white china plate and surveyed the fare, selecting crab, salad and a French roll. "Better circulate," he said, carrying his plate and a flute of Champagne over to talk to the Dobeys.

Starsky filled his own plate with tamales, quiche and a sweet roll. He leaned against the wall watching Hutch and the Dobeys. His partner's smile was by far the most radiant in the room.

"He looks happy," Huggy said, walking up to Starsky. Huggy put a slice of mango from the fruit platter into his mouth.

"He does," Starsky agreed, tearing his eyes off of Hutch and to Huggy. "Thanks, Hug." He grinned at his old friend. "This is because of you and Iana. The decorations are fantastic, and the food." He swallowed the lump in his throat that he hadn't even realized was there until just now. It scared him sometimes how much his own happiness seemed to hinge on Hutch being happy. He even occasionally thought it was unhealthy to be so dependent on another person for the most basic of things. All he had to do was look at Hutch for those feelings to disappear. God, he hated getting soapy.

Starsky saw Dobey creep quietly out of the room.

"Where's Dobey off to?" Starsky asked Huggy.

"You'll find out soon enough," Huggy said. "I'm going back for seconds on the tamales. Iana is a genius in the kitchen."

Glancing around at the people he called family, Starsky smiled, nibbling on his Danish. Hutch was now laughing and joking with Molly, Kiko and their friends.

Starsky wondered how many of them needed the extra credit, and who simply lived too far away to fly home. Years ago, he would have said that Missy definitely was a candidate for latching onto the smart kids to up her grades, but now he knew that blonde and pretty didn't necessarily mean dumb.

Hutch was blond and pretty, a jock even, with a nerd's brain. Back in school, he was the type of kid that Starsky would have bullied. Well, not bullied exactly, teased was more the word. Yet, in the Academy, he had been drawn to the blond, nerdy kid immediately. He hadn't understood then why he had been so desperate to befriend the klutz. He didn't know that he was attracted physically to Hutch, that it was all about body chemistry, pure and simple lust in the form of friendship. And Starsky wouldn't have it any other way.  
"Ho, ho, ho. Merry Christmas," boomed a voice.

Starsky jumped, startled out of his reverie. He was aware of standing there with his mouth open when Santa entered the room.

Huggy chuckled in Starsky's ear. "Makes a good Santa, doesn't he? Who'd have thought Dobey would dress up in costume."

Dobey walked over and sat down on a large, throne-like chair next to the Christmas tree. Starsky hadn't noticed the chair in all the red and green decorations.

"I have a list in my head of all the people who have been naughty and nice this year," Santa said with a jolly "ho ho ho."

Edith smiled, going over to stand a few feet in front of her husband.

Dobey scanned the room, his eyes stopping on random guests. "If you think that you are on my nice list, line up behind my beautiful helper, Edith, and you can have one present to open now."

The college friends looked uncertain, but Kiko, Molly and Rosie all laughed, running up to jostle for a place at the front of the line.

"There are presents for everyone," Iana said, shepherding the hesitant group towards the other three kids.

Missy, Raven, and Jimbo took their places, calling out good-natured jeers to Molly and Kiko about who was naughty and nice.

Cal stood to the side, clearly contemplating whether he was too old to join in the fun. Then he dived in with gusto, elbowing his sister out of the way.

The spirit of the day finally got the better of Starsky. He plowed into the middle of the kids who were still vying for the spot at the front of the line, giving as good as he got when elbows dug at him from every direction. Starsky sneaked up behind Rosie and picked her up, lifting her feet off of the floor and spinning around with her.

"No fair, Starsky!" Kiko yelled. He tugged at Starsky's arm, trying to loosen his grip on Rosie. "Hutch, come on over here to be on our side!"

"Enough. Stand still." bellowed Dobey, holding up his velvet gloved hands. "The only good boy I can see is Hutch."

Starsky and the kids laughed, shuffling into a decent queue with sheepish expressions. Missy had gained the coveted first place.

Huggy magically appeared next to Starsky. The last time Starsky had seen him was by the food table.

Starsky glared in disbelief at Hutch standing poker straight next to Edith with a smug grin on his face. Starsky sidled up to Hutch. "Ass licker," he whispered in Hutch's ear.

"And you like it," Hutch said quietly out of the side of his mouth, not once taking his eyes off of Santa Dobey.

"Hutch. Missy. Rosie. Huggy." Dobey picked up each gift and handed it to the correct recipient. Edith gave out small bags of homemade cookies and candies to everyone. It took nearly half an hour to dole out all the presents to thirteen people.

Starsky stood back to watch the kids tear into their gifts. Brightly colored wrapping paper littered the floor. Rosie clutched the Olivia Newton John album he and Hutch had given her and Molly threw her arms around Hutch, holding out the new watch he and Starsky had bought.

"Your ass is mine when we get back to our room," Starsky hissed in Hutch's ear.

"Promises, promises," Hutch rasped, unwrapping a box containing a white sweater that Starsky's mom had knitted for him.

###

 _the end_


End file.
